ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS
Army says Fort Bragg soldiers exposed to asbestos

Father of one Fort Bragg soldier is furious over asbestos disclosure

December 10, 2008 -- The Army says Fort Bragg paratroopers assigned to gut a Viet Nam-era barracks storage room were exposed “unknowingly” to asbestos, but a soldiers father said officials should have known about the material.

The exposure occurred over a period of several weeks when soldiers in the 1st Brigade Combat Team scraped floor tiles and carried out debris.

Soldiers who ripped up tiles were not given masks or any other safety equipment to protect them from airborne asbestos fibers, long associated with the most dangerous form of asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma.

The father of one soldier stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, told the media that the Army “badly handled” asbestos contamination in an Army barrack last week.

“My son is extremely concerned about his health and the health of the other soldiers that are continually being housed in this building,” the father said.

The Division surgeon said the Army will monitor the health of the soldiers. Air testing showed no hazardous asbestos levels in the room.

Asbestos, the silent killer

Despite the serious health problems linked to asbestos exposure, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007.

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers.

Time to seek justice!

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court. Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time its attorneys have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for its clients.

If you have a mesothelioma injury, please complete the form on this page for a free evaluation of your legal rights. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.